


Aftershocks

by idrilhadhafang



Series: Of Light and Fire [2]
Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Eventual Kaydel Ko Connix/Rose Tico, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Mentioned Finn/Rose Tico, Not Holdo friendly at least from Kaydel’s POV, Post-Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Protective Kaydel Ko Connix, Rose Tico Needs A Hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-12
Updated: 2019-01-13
Packaged: 2019-10-09 01:41:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17397674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idrilhadhafang/pseuds/idrilhadhafang
Summary: Rose wakes up from her coma and finds that things have gotten ever more complicated.





	1. Recovery

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing. 
> 
> Author’s Notes: Call this an Of Light And Fire side story.

When Rose Tico woke up, she already felt like a shooting pain was going through her head. She couldn’t say that she recognized where she was; the last thing she remembered was...oh stars,  _Finn_ —

The last thing she remembered was kissing Finn. It wasn’t like she and Paige had giggled over their first kiss being like; it was weak and somehow, though she cared deeply about Finn...

Was she in love with him? All of it seemed too sudden, too soon. What seemed sensible at the time was now something she was questioning...and kriff, her head hurt so badly. 

Kaydel was sitting over her, and her smile — it was already the most beautiful thing that Rose had ever seen. “Hey, Rose.”

”My head...it feels like it’s been split in half...”

”Well, that’ll happen when you do stuff like that.” Kaydel’s face grew angry. “By the stars themselves, Rose, you could have been killed! If we lost you...if I — ”

She cut herself off. Rose tilted her head, best as she could considering that she was bedridden. “If you what, Kay?”

”Never mind. I got a little emotional there.” Kaydel sighed. “What were you thinking, Rosie? You could have died!”

”I thought I could help.” Rose said. “Finn was going to die for nothing. I couldn’t just let him die.”

Kaydel nodded. “I get it. It’s just...you’re my friend. When Finn brought you in...it killed me.”

Rose swallowed. “Kay, I’m sorry.”

”I understand why you did it. You don’t have to apologize. Just...kriff, what a battle we had. We lost a lot of good people. If you were among the dead...I probably would have burned the kriffing First Order down.”

“I’m all right, Kay. Really.”

Kaydel nodded. 

“This is my fault,” Rose said. “I mean, if I’d never gone to Cantobight, never trusted that codebreaker...you have no idea. I thought that I could trust him — ”

”It was Holdo,” Kaydel said. “She wouldn’t tell us anything. I trusted you, Poe and Finn for a reason. Some idiots were saying that it was my fault too, and Poe’s — they were talking about Poe being imprisoned, but...it was Holdo’s fault. She may have redeemed herself in the end, but she wasn’t a good leader.” She took a deep breath. “A good leader inspires people, makes you want to follow them. Holdo didn’t have that. She just expected people to follow her just because she said so. Poe inspired me. You and Finn inspired me. She didn’t. I regret nothing in saying that.”

”But the codebreaker — ”

”You weren’t the first person to fall for that bastard’s lies and you probably won’t be the last,” Kaydel said. “You did more than Holdo ever could. It’s not your fault, Rose.”

Rose couldn’t say that she entirely agreed with Kaydel. And yet at the same time, the way she said all this...it was enough to send a sort of warmth through her that she doubted she felt even with Finn. 

She paused. Was she really doubting how she felt about Finn? But still...

”Thanks, Kay,” she said. “I mean...I don’t think Holdo was that bad from what I heard, but...thanks.”

”No problem,” Kaydel said. “And trust me, you had to be there.”

Rose had to rest, still, and her dreams couldn’t help but still be confused — a mixture of Finn and Kaydel in her head where she didn’t know, honestly, which was which. 


	2. Qualities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaydel comforts Rose after Finn rejects her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing.
> 
> Author’s Notes: Takes place after the scene in “Salvaged Pieces” where Finn’s attempts to turn Rose down go wrong.

By the time that Rose reached her room, saying she was a mess was putting it mildly. She was breathing hard, feeling like there was a burning in her chest even as she tried recovering herself. How could Finn? How could Rey, for that matter? “Wonderful qualities”...was that all she was, just that? 

Even that hurt.

Somehow, in the midst of her emotional wreck, she found herself dialing Kaydel’s commlink. Kaydel answered it. “Lieutenant Connix here.”

”Kay, I’m sorry, I just really need to talk to you...”

Kaydel’s voice changed from professional to concerned. “Rose? What happened?”

”Meet me at my room and I’ll talk to you,” Rose said.

Minutes later, Kaydel was there, and she looked worried, her hair almost out of her customary two buns. “What happened?” she said. “Really.”

Rose told her everything, in clouding Finn saying that he loved Rey right in front of Rise after his initial attempts to “be gentle”. “I can’t believe I was so stupid, Kay.”

”You’re not stupid. You were in love.”

”I know, but...” Rose took a deep breath, a shuddering one. “When I first heard about Finn, I wanted to be like him. He seemed so brave and noble. He still is, but I guess he’s human too.”

”Yeah.” Kaydel smoothed hair out of Rose’s eyes, a gesture that Rose wouldn’t deny made her heart flutter. “You’re just seeing the man, not the hero.”

”I guess.” Rose took a deep breath. 

“You know what?” Kaydel said. “We need a distraction. Maybe if we had a sort of sleepover or something...”

Rose couldn’t say no to that. Right now, she needed a distraction from Finn, and Kaydel was already starting to make her more than a bit fluttery inside.

They didn’t have popcorn, but they did have holos to watch, and that was what mattered. They took out some of the holos, old holoshows and things like that (Rose wasn’t up for watching romance right now), while Rose took Kaydel’s hair out of her buns. She couldn’t help but be struck by how thick and pretty Kay’s hair was, how shiny. Kaydel was a beautiful woman, And kind, brave, stubborn, charming...all these things Rose couldn’t help but love.

Was Finn just not right for her? Was that it, in the end?

Rose supposed she couldn’t think about it too hard. In the end, best she could do was just forget for a moment, and that was enough.


End file.
